ListenUp
New music from Douglas Dare, KAYTRANADA reworks Solange, Kitty embraces the ’80s and more in our musical round-up
Douglas Dare: New York
With a vocal fortitude that’s both emotive and defiant, singer/songwriter Douglas Dare delivers a compelling narrative of love and deception in “New York,” his latest release. The single strikes an interspace between Patrick Wolf and what Damien Rice would sound like with industrial tinges. The video and its tech-driven animation, directed by Dan Jacobs, bolsters the beautiful darkness of the the lyrics. Dare’s forthcoming Aforger, on which “New York” appears, will be released on 14 October via Erased Tapes.
Jenny O.: Case Study B
In true dream-daze fashion, LA-based singer/songwriter Jenny O. sings and strums upon her guitar with home-recorded care throughout “Case Study B.” One of five songs off her Work EP, which released on 7 October via Manimal, “Case Study B” embraces her ethereal side and envelops listeners in thick swathes of emotion. Work is a follow-up to her acclaimed debut full-length Automechanic (though it’s more a proper book-end to her first EP Home) and the whole thing warrants a listen.
Solange: Cranes in the Sky (KAYTRANADA Remix)
While it’s only been a few weeks since the release of Solange’s A Seat at the Table, listeners and fellow musicians can’t get enough of it. One of those peers, KAYTRANADA, has just offered up a lovely remix of the standout track “Cranes in the Sky.” Unsurprisingly, the Polaris Music Prize winner has created a sparkly yet cruise-y and ambient rework of the gorgeous tune—never overshadowing the original’s tenderness. A Seat at the Table is Solange’s first number one album on the Billboard 200 chart.
Anohni: I Don’t Love You Anymore
The simple, direct music video for “I Don’t Love You Anymore” zooms in on Anohni’s face, partially in shadow, as she sings to the camera over somber yet majestic pipe organ. Tension builds as she asserts her rejection of a former lover—or being, or system—who “left me in a broken world.” It’s one of the more vulnerable takes from Anohni’s powerful and necessarily political album Hopelessness, which spans topics like climate change and America’s use of drone strikes.
Kitty: Asari Love Song
Kitty (aka Kathryn-Leigh Beckwith) initially caught our attention way back in 2012 with her cutesy, funny track “JUSTIN BIEBER!!!!” Since then, she’s changed her stage name from Kitty Pryde to Kitty and has worked with the likes of Ryan Hemsworth and Le1f. Now, with “Asari Love Song” she’s embracing her inner retro pop star—with a little spoken word and plenty of ’80s beats. The track just premiered on The Fader and is part of the 2016 Adult Swim Singles series.
Conor Oberst: You All Loved Him Once
This week, Conor Oberst unveiled his seventh EP Ruminations—an intimate 10-track reflection comprised of the singer’s signature vocals, and not much else beyond piano, guitar and harmonica. From the uncommonly bleak but beautiful album, the stand-out track “You All Loved Him Once” acts much like a microcosm of what lays around it. Emotionalism runs heavy, but it’s never painted thick. The song, and the album as a whole, grant listeners the opportunity to see the world through Oberst’s traumas but his understanding of it all is conveyed with intelligence and understanding.
ListenUp is a Cool Hunting series published every Sunday that rounds up the music we tweeted throughout the week, also found in Listen. Hear the year so far via Cool Hunting Spotify.
